Rented Server Empty, Change Region

[Yay4TanksToo]

@OttoVP tried that and was told that the supervisor couldn't do anything either. EA don't seem to care at all.

[OttoVP]

@Yay4TanksToo did you pay with paypal or credit card? maybe you can file a claim with your credit card company

[witchy_muffins]

I’ve had an empty server for a week now. EA support told me that they can’t reset servers. When I asked for a refund for having a faulty server, I was told that servers can’t be refunded. 

When I requested to speak to a higher authority, EA support said that their managers will tell me the same thing. I asked again, and they told me that they were unable to do that and if I didn’t have any more questions, the chat will have to end. Real help there. I feel so ripped off. What a disappointment. What’s the point in support when they don’t support us at all?? 

“They’ve ruined Battlefield!” - BFFs

[OttoVP]

@witchy_muffins not tue. another user had his server reset and made working again. (search frozen server issue)

i hope this helps.

[troll_ramchurn]

This has to be fixed. Cant find any servers if admin doesnt enter the server

[Blutwor]

@troll_ramchurn Based on my talk to "EA Support", they already do not have any tools to fix it as they already had to switch to new tools because of BFV.

So there won't be any fix, and also they are no more able to "reset" the server list, so all the servers appear. :-(

BF4 is dying... I used to own a server for 4 months and only once there were in total 8 people, so why to spend money for that?

[CyberDyme]

@EA_Blueberry , first of all, thx for even reacting to us here!

But...  You clearly do not yet comprehend the factual problem and how your server park is now handling the BF4 servers that we pay real money for to rent from EA.  It is not a question about the EA Support just resetting our server setup/box.  It doesnt help or change anything for this grave problem.  Nothing.

It is part of a code segment that EA deliberately added to the server park management tool, during the EA Server update back on January 24th 2019.

If there was any willingness on EA's side to fix this bug, then it had been done already.

Any such server side software update is well documented.  The EA programmers are not stupid.

On their own internal version release notes they know very well what software components that were touched versus the previous BF4 Server version.

The BF4 Server software is de-facto working right now as EA intended it to do.

That is, to reduce the number of open BF4 servers running on their own rented server parks with their partner, who they pay money to do the technical hosting.

Now by disabling any empty server from being kept 'alive and visible' when no players are on it, then EA saves a lot of money across their full server rental plan with that technical partner they use. 

They are however screwing us over, us server renters that pay EA to rent a BF4 server.  As has been the case from the release of that now famous BF4 Server side 'update' on January 24th 2019, then any time a BF4 server goes empty for players, then it disappears and is no longer visible in the BF4 server directory for Server Search and also from all player's 'Favorite Servers' list.

It takes that an admin on the server in question is going to the admin menu area, (where you also can rent servers within the BF4 application) and then 'join' the server from within that server admin menu.  That is the only way a server will become visible again for other players globally.  Even we server owners cannot see our own server in the server search list or Server Favorites list. 

That EA has left that functionality behind intentionally is clear evidence that this is done deliberately by them.  To save the money of rental payment to their own tech partner for server hosting.  And subsequently, also a way to dis-encourage players away from the BF4 game and onto their newer (and pricier) BF1 and ultimately the BFV game instead.

Really too bad they dont realise/recognize the very reason we are many now back on the BF4 game, which is that we tried out the BF1 and also the BFV.  But we are many that left these new BF games so disappointed that we have reverted back to the BF4 for better FPS fun and gaming pleasure!!!

We all sincerely hope that the next BF release in November 2020 will bring us back to the same level of fun we still have with the BF4 game!

[CyberDyme]

Hi @NZ-Roulette , i contacted the live EA Support group here in Europe during open business hours, so they didnt forward me to their backoffice support group in India...
It was the India-based group that said all support of BF4 servers was terminated.  (still a shocking message, as I see that EA still rent out BF4 servers with same service and support conditions available as previously...).
But this live Support person was certainly very sincere and knowledgeable with me.  Though did not confirm any wrongdoing on their side or acknowledging anything wrong either.  But fact remains that just within 10 mins after, then my server was suddenly live and back up running as supposed to again!   

[CyberDyme]

@grawitj , nobody from EA has ever confirmed any wrongdoing or bug introduced by the January 24th 2019 server side software update!

And this is of course very intentional from their side...

If never confirming anything not working as supposed to, then there is nothing to fix or blame on them.

Just too bad that EA consider their advanced users and server renters to be imbeciles....

Its total lack of respect and understanding of how to best manage their key customers...

This bug is there, that is a fact.

And it is repeatable to demonstrate any time you want to.

So is not just a fluke or a temporary issue.

The bug is due to hardcoded functionality in the server side code.

Which they introduced into the live production environment on January 24th this year!

And nothing has been done to change or fix it.  Nothing.

If EA cared to fix it, then it would already have been done with a hot-fix.

[CyberDyme]

@OttoVP , sorry Otto, you refer to a support topic (frozen BF4 server) back from 2015.  The world has moved on and so has EA with BF4.  What they did back then is no longer available/relevant to our problem with 'a frozen server' today...